Gilas Pilipinas is expected to make some key adjustments in its roster following the unavailability of some players for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is expected to make an announcement in a news conference on Thursday as naturalized player Justin Brownlee and Bradon Ganuelas-Rosser have yet to recover from injuries while head coach Chot Reyes stepped down following their forgettable performance in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Brownlee has yet to fully recover from a foot surgery while Ganuelas-Rosser is still nursing a fractured tibia. Even Kiefer Ravena remains uncertain as he is set to return to Japan together with other Gilas mainstays in Dwight Ramos, Thirdy Ravena, AJ Edu and Kai Sotto.
Brownlee, Ganuelas-Rosser and Ravena were part of the 14-man team submitted by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to the Philippine Olympic Committee.
Joining them in the roster are Philippine Basketball Association stalwarts Calvin Oftana, Chris Newsome, June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, CJ Perez, Roger Pogoy, Scottie Thompson and Jamie Malonzo as well as naturalized player Ange Kouame.
SBP president Al Panlilio had already sat down with PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, chairman Ricky Vargas and vice chairman Bobby Rosales to discuss the changes in the national roster. Also present in the meeting organized by San Miguel Corporation president Ramon Ang last Tuesday was SMC sports director Alfrancis Chua.
But the biggest hole that the SBP and PBA have to plug is the head coaching position after Reyes resigned in the aftermath of Gilas Pilipinas’ underwhelming performance in the World Cup.
Sideliners claimed that Gilas Pilipinas assistant coaches Tim Cone and Jong Uichico are strongly being considered as well as former mentor Yeng Guiao and Rajko Toroman. Even TNT Tropang Giga coach Jojo Lastimosa is also being looked at.
But in a previous message to Daily Tribune, Cone and Uichico already counted themselves out while Guiao and Lastimosa are not interested.
Toroman, for his part, had shown interest as he is in the country to guide College of Saint Benilde in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and Converge in the PBA.
“I haven’t heard anything about Gilas, but everyone is in anticipation of what’s going to happen tomorrow,” Uichico said.
Preparing for the Asian Games at the last minute is nothing new for the Filipinos.
Five years ago, Gilas faced a similar situation after figuring in a brawl with Australia during the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. The PBA and the SBP resolved the situation by sending Rain or Shine beefed up by National Basketball Association player Jordan Clarkson, Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle.
